Brookline Street Studio is now Birch Paper and Home!

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Studio Reunion




I spent today creating in my new studio! I haven't spent time in my creative space since I started moving--over three months ago. I still have a lot of work to do to make my new (and much smaller) studio really workable, but I had a fun day digging through boxes and drawers and finding new inspiration in each one!

As I prepare for my business-image redesign (by Sadie Olive--so excited!), I'm trying to define my authentic style. I confess that I am guilty of dabbling--Victorian, rustic, French, Italian, industrial, even modern. To this end, I've been keeping a journal of the finds, experiences, places, people, vignettes...that touch my spirit. I hope to share this fun journey with all of you! For now, here are a few photos of today's creations:


I came across this lot of beautifully illustrated sheet music in a storage box. I remember finding it at the flea market, but had never actually looked through page-by-page. I am always amazed by the detail in such works--I so wish beauty were as valued today as it was in 1864!

I framed a selection of the pages:



I scanned many and used one selection in the decoration of this "inside-out" journal:



The covers of this journal are recycled from an old book with lovely endpapers. I simply reversed the covers so that the endpapers were on the outside and filled the book with 70 pages of ivory, text-weight, recycled paper. I bound the journal with ivory linen ribbon. Can't wait to list it on etsy!



I'm working on a design for "nests" made from strips of old papers. Here is a prototype...not quite ready for sale, but a good representation of my idea:



Lastly, I stamped some organic cotton twill ribbon with French text and wound it in 1-yard segments on old wooden spools. I've found that VersaMark ink pads work best on ribbon--heat-set with an iron on medium heat if you want to launder the ribbon.



Happy creating! Please create responsibly!

Friday, August 6, 2010

Bye, Bye, Brookline Street


Today, my celebration is bittersweet. The process of selling my home has been less-than-pleasant. As anyone out there selling a house in this market knows, selling a home (especially an antique) is a less-than-fruitful venture. Yet, I'm incredibly relieved to be able to turn the page on this stage of life and open up a new chapter. In other words, I've never been so happy to lose so much money! C'est la vie! Life will go on and I pray God will bless my family in the midst of (and through) this mess!

Today, my semi-happy is the sale of my house. Off to new ventures, new opportunities, a new life. Scarey? Yes. Exciting? Yes. Blessed? I sure pray so.